The Color of Water

In The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, James McBride explores his mother's complex identity as a light-skinned woman fiercely devoted to her twelve black children. Through Ruth McBride Jordan's compelling narrative, he reveals her tumultuous past, from her upbringing as the daughter of a failed Orthodox rabbi in Poland to her life as a widow in Brooklyn, where she founded a church and instilled values of resilience and racial unity in her family. Interweaving McBride's own experiences as a mixed-race child, this poignant memoir delves into themes of race, identity, and the enduring strength of a mother's love.